A Parish Rooted in the Enola Rail Yards
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church has stood on Salt Road in Enola, Pennsylvania, since 1980, but its story stretches back more than a century. As early as 1903, the pastor of St. Ann's Church in Steelton, Fr. F. M. Negroni, made the journey into Enola to bring pastoral care to Catholics in the area, many of them Italian families employed by the Enola rail yards. On December 8, 1924, Bishop Philip R. McDevitt authorized the purchase of a farmhouse with several acres of land on West Locust Street in South Enola, and the house was gradually modified to include a small chapel and convent. In June 1925, six Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary arrived and established their cloistered community there, with priests assigned to St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg offering Mass in the convent chapel. The sisters eventually relocated to Lancaster in 1955.
Fr. John P. Stanton became the first pastor when Bishop McDevitt formally established the parish in April 1926, and Fr. Harold E. Keller succeeded him later that same year. Under Fr. Keller, land was purchased at the corner of Enola Drive and West Pine Street. The cornerstone of the original church was laid on May 7, 1927, and Bishop McDevitt dedicated the building on September 18 of that year. The parish continued to grow, and in 1977, Mr. Ovidio and Mrs. Edith L. Acri donated ten acres of their farm to the parish. A groundbreaking ceremony followed in 1979, and Bishop Joseph T. Daley dedicated the present-day church on Salt Road in March 1980. The rectory was added in 1985.
Stained glass windows, votive candle racks, and the crucifix that had hung above the altar of the West Pine Street church all made the move to the new building, along with statues of Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Bernadette, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and St. Margaret Mary. By the year 2000, religious education enrollment had climbed to about 500 students, prompting the parish to construct the Fr. John A. Acri Parish Center, which houses parish offices, a gymnasium, a cafeteria, and many classrooms and meeting rooms. A pavilion was later added for parish picnics, and in 2006 the church nave was enlarged to increase seating. The parish marked its centennial with a series of celebrations, including a commemorative throw depicting both the Salt Road and Pine Street church buildings.
Mass, Reconciliation, and the Livestream
The rhythm of the parish centers on the Eucharist. Daily Mass is offered Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00 AM. The Saturday Vigil Mass begins at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM. The church opens half an hour before each Mass begins. Daily and weekend Masses are livestreamed on the parish Facebook page for those who cannot be present in person.
The sacrament of Reconciliation is heard in the confessional on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 6:50 PM and on Saturdays from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. Baptisms are scheduled by appointment, generally on Sundays during or after the 10:30 Mass. Couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact the parish office, and arrangements for Anointing of the Sick can be made by reaching out as well; one need not be in immediate danger of death to receive this sacrament.
Sacraments and Sacramental Preparation
Our Lady of Lourdes celebrates all seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. First Communion is received in the usual parish sequence, and Confirmation is typically conferred through the Faith Formation program in eighth grade. Adults seeking Confirmation are prepared through the OCIA process, which is described in more detail below. Children who have received First Communion are eligible to be trained as altar servers, assisting at weekend liturgies as well as special celebrations such as Christmas, Holy Week, and Forty Hours Devotions. The parish also coordinates Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who assist at weekend Masses and bring Communion to the homebound and to Catholics at Brookdale, a local senior-living community.
Faith Formation for Children, Teens, and Adults
Jennifer Kent-Shank serves as Parish Director of Faith Formation and oversees a program that draws several hundred students each year. Registration for the 2026-2027 year is open, with a full calendar of classes, a published home-school policy, and a dedicated set of resources for families whose children attend parochial schools elsewhere. The parish also maintains a Children's Corner with printable activity pages, including word finds, crosswords, and coloring sheets for the church year.
For adults who wish to learn more about the Catholic faith or to enter the Church, the parish runs OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), with weekly meetings running from September through mid-May. The program welcomes inquirers through stages of inquiry, catechumenate, purification and preparation, and initiation at the Easter Vigil. Those interested are invited to call the parish office at 717-732-9642.
Walking with Purpose and That Man Is You
Two signature small-group ministries bring parishioners together around Scripture and fellowship. Walking with Purpose is a women's Bible study that meets on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Parish Center, with both in-person and virtual options. That Man Is You, abbreviated TMIY, is a men's program that meets on Saturday mornings in St. Mary's Hall. Coffee and breakfast begin at 6:15 AM, the video session starts at 6:45 AM, and small-group discussion runs from 7:15 until the session closes at 7:45 AM. The fall and spring sessions together comprise about 26 gatherings, and men are welcome to drop in at any point.
The Rosary, Divine Mercy, and the Patronage of Our Lady of Lourdes
The parish takes its name from Mary's appearances in 1858 to St. Bernadette Soubiroux at Lourdes, France, where Mary identified herself as the Immaculate Conception and led Bernadette in praying the rosary. Each year, parishioners make a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland, to honor this patronage.
Devotion to the rosary and to Divine Mercy is woven into the parish week. The Most Holy Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet Prayer Group gathers every Wednesday at 5:45 PM in the main church in front of the Tabernacle to pray for peace in the world, for the parish family, and for personal intentions. The gathering is run in tandem with the local Knights of Columbus council. A Prayer Chain, organized by parish volunteers, also carries special intentions to those who pledge to pray for them.
Music, Liturgical Ministries, and the Library
Daniel Glessner directs the parish's music program as Organist and Choir Director. The choir offers special music throughout the year and leads the congregation in song, with rehearsals every Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, September through May. Cantors lead the congregation in the sung parts of the Mass and proclaim the Responsorial Psalm on Sundays and Holy Days. Substitute organists are welcomed.
Behind the scenes, a wide range of lay ministries support each liturgy. Lectors proclaim the readings and lead the Prayer of the Faithful. Extraordinary Ministers distribute Holy Communion. Sacristans prepare the sacred vessels before and after Mass. The St. Michael's Guard, an ecclesial ministry of men in the Diocese of Harrisburg devoted to serving as altar servers with particular reverence for the Eucharist, assists the priests at Mass and special ceremonies. Ministers of Hospitality greet worshippers, seat them, invite families to carry up the gifts, take up the collection, and distribute bulletins.
Off the narthex, a small room serves a double purpose as a parish library and nursery. Parents may take a young child there during Mass and still hear the liturgy through a loudspeaker, and adults may borrow from an eclectic collection of books on Catholic theology and the spiritual life, with no due date.
Parish Groups, the PCCW, and Knights of Columbus
The life of the parish is shaped by dozens of groups that gather for service, fellowship, and fundraising. The Parish Council of Catholic Women welcomes all women of the parish to its monthly meetings, which combine education and social time and include a service project coordinating cakes with the local Meals on Wheels program each month. The Knights of Columbus Council 12404, founded March 25, 1999, meets on the first and third Thursdays of the month and connects members and their families to service projects with the Church, the community, families, and young people.
Other groups include the Prayer Shawl and Baptism Blanket Ministry, which gathers in the Parish Center to make shawls for sick parishioners and blankets for babies being baptized; the Church Decorating Committee, which plans seasonal décor for Christmas, Lent, and Easter; Live Flower Care; Candle Care; Buildings and Grounds Volunteers; Collections Counters; the Parish History Committee; and the Parish Pastoral Council. Coffee and donuts are offered after every Sunday Mass as a way for parishioners to socialize, and parish dinners are held throughout the year, including fish dinners on the Fridays of Lent as fundraisers.
Each Lent, the parish runs its famous Peanut Butter Eggs project. From Ash Wednesday until the week before Palm Sunday, volunteers gather most Monday evenings in the social hall to make and sell the eggs as a major fundraiser for Easter, a tradition that newcomers are welcomed into as a way to meet other parishioners.
CYO Basketball and New Hope Ministries
The Our Lady of Lourdes CYO Basketball program welcomes boys and girls in grades 3 through 12. There are no tryouts, and registration is free, with families covering only the cost of the uniform (about $75.00) and nominal game admissions. Players must either attend a parochial school or be registered in Faith Formation at their home parish. Financial assistance is available, and a Basketball Committee of adult volunteers handles sign-ups, recruits coaches, schedules practices and games, and runs the concession stand.
The parish also supports New Hope Ministries, a local Christian social service agency that serves neighbors in need and helps them work toward stability. Food and canned goods can be dropped off in the narthex after Mass, and a printed grocery list helps donors choose what is most needed.
Pastoral Leadership and the Parish Pastoral Council
Reverend Matthew Smith serves as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes. Jennifer Kent-Shank is the Parish Director of Faith Formation, and Daniel Glessner directs the music program as Organist and Choir Director. The parish office can be reached at 717-732-9642.
The Parish Pastoral Council, in union with the pastor, shares responsibility for the life and welfare of the parish and its organizations, with a mission rooted in the mission of the Diocese of Harrisburg: to share the experience of salvation received from Jesus Christ in the living Catholic tradition of Word and Sacrament, drawing all persons into a believing, hoping, loving, and serving community which, empowered by the Spirit, gives glory to the Father through Jesus, Lord and Savior. The council is made up of nine elected voting members, with the pastor appointing additional members at his discretion. Registered parishioners who are practicing Catholics and at least 18 years old are eligible to serve. Pastoral Council members for the 2026-2027 term include Chris Deshane, Nikki Krise, Becky Olejniczak, Christy Sunchych, Linda Walde, Rita Acri, George Ehgartner, Loan Nguyen, John Palkovitz, and Lisa Taglang.
Online giving is available through the parish's secure giving portal, and parish bulletins are posted each week for those who want to follow the parish's prayer life, ministry announcements, and weekly schedule.